When Comes the Winter
by NorthernDweller
Summary: After a tragic accident puts Arendelle on the brink of war, Elsa vows to control her ever-growing powers. What she discovers puts her in the middle of a battle centuries in the making. With the fate of far more than Arendelle hanging in the balance, the royal sisters are faced with the truth behind Elsa's abilities — a power beyond compare, a destiny beyond imagining.
1. Chapter One

"Sir, the citizens are concerned. The food supply is running low."

"The merchants can hand out free food rations for the time being. We'll just have to pay them back —"

"The merchants don't have any rations to spare,"

The Duke of Weselton leaned back in his chair and massaged his temples. He'd been in his position for only a few months but he sometimes felt as though he'd aged several years. In fact, he believed he'd finally figured out why his predecessor had a problem with hair loss. Either it had fallen out from stress or, what was more likely, the man had torn it out himself.

"Duke Torben? What do you suggest we do?"

The brown-haired man stood from his chair and walked to the window of his office. Outside, the cobblestone streets were in need of repair, the wooden inns and shops starting to sag ever so slightly. He thought for a moment, rapping his knuckles against the glass.

"Ready a ship. I'll be leaving at dawn for Arendelle."

"Sir, surely there's someone else you can send?"

"No. This is too important a task to entrust to anyone else. Jarl Gunnar will serve as regent while I'm away."

"As you wish, sir. But – and please forgive my impudence – perhaps you should inform the queen of Arendelle before simply arriving at her doorstep?"

Torben considered his assistant's idea for a moment but shook his head.

"There's no time to wait for a response. The last relations between our kingdoms weren't exactly the most pleasant. I'd wager anything that a formal request for a meeting would just be denied. I'll just have to hope that the queen's in a good mood when I arrive."

"And if she's not? You're willing to risk your own safety?"

"Queen Elsa's powers don't scare me. I know I've never met her, but surely she knows about the history between our kingdoms. Any sort of retaliation on her part would only end in disaster." Torben grimaced. "I just hope that she'll listen to reason."

* * *

**_Two weeks later_**

"Your Majesty, please be reasonable!"

"I'm sorry, but we just don't have any way of funding exploration missions right now. If you're still interested around this time next year —"

"Very well. Thank you, Your Highness," the rotund man who had been speaking cut Elsa off. "I completely understand." He left the study in a huff, murmuring vague curses under his breath.

Elsa closed her eyes. She took in a breath and let it out, leaning back in her chair. Before her coronation, she'd known that there would be days where, as queen, she would be pushed to her limits. She'd expected times when her patience and resolve would be tested by fire. But this trial she'd never imagined: Petition Day.

It was a grueling, slogging day that consisted entirely of her sitting behind her desk and listening to her subjects asking redress for every wrong imaginable. Since her ascension to the throne she'd only had a handful of days such as these, but she'd learned something after just the first: there were only two ways to solve a problem – the wrong way and the even worse way.

It wasn't that she didn't care for the Arendellian citizens. She loved them immensely and was eternally grateful for the way they accepted her, especially after the incident with winter arriving five months ahead of schedule. Yet there were many times when it appeared that some residents had taken leave of even the most basic common sense. Elsa took a breath and steeled herself.

"Send in the next person," Elsa sat upright and addressed the guard by the door.

"That was the last petitioner, Your Majesty,"

Elsa's eyebrows shot upwards.

"Oh, is that so? Well, I have other business to attend to." She made a show of shuffling some papers on the desk, hoping that she didn't sound too cheerful. "If anyone else comes by, just let them know that they can bring up their issues next Petition Day,"

The guard nodded. "Of course, Your Majesty."

But Elsa was already gone.

* * *

After a long day of meeting with the stuffy local councilmen, Anna was taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather with a much-needed break in the castle gardens. She slept gracefully behind some bushes, snoring with one arm thrown over her face. Her sleep was so sound that it took her a few moments to realize she was being slowly covered in snow.

She jerked awake with a start. "Ah! Cold, cold cold..." Anna spun in a circle, trying to shake the frost from her clothes. She'd gotten almost all of it off when she heard a laugh.

"You're as graceful as always, Anna." Elsa stood off to the side, a smile on her face.

Anna stuck out her tongue at her sister and plopped back onto the ground, closing her eyes. "At least I didn't have to spend all day dealing with petitions,"

"Don't remind me," Elsa sat down next to Anna and stared up at the sky. "But on the bright side, at least I didn't offend any merchants this time."

Anna shuddered. Until she'd seen the aftermath of the last Petition Day herself, she'd never thought that someone as innocuous as a florist could cause such waves in the local government.

"Ah!" Anna suddenly let out a yelp and jumped up. A thin layer of ice was spreading underneath her. "Elsa, cut it out!"

Elsa stared for a second and shook her head. "Sorry. It's just – well, it's almost December. This time of year, it's always a little harder to keep things under control. Something to do with the season."

Anna cocked her head. There was something off about the unquiet way Elsa responded without looking at her. Before she could question her on it, the older sister smiled and pulled Anna to her feet.

"But do you know what it's time for?" Elsa walked away from Anna, glancing slyly back over her shoulder. She spun around and a snowball hit Anna in the stomach. Anna scoffed and narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, you wanna play dirty? All right, bring it on!"

Elsa grinned. With a wave of her hand the ground was covered in a fresh layer of snow. It took only a few seconds before snowballs were flying through the air, some of them hitting the girls, many missing their mark. Elsa had reluctantly gotten rid of her ice shield (Anna claimed it was cheating) and was readying a particularly massive snowball when the castle servant Kai rushed into the gardens, nearly slipping on the frozen ground.

"Your Majesty!" Kai bent over and gasped for air. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"What is it, Kai?" Elsa reluctantly released her hold on the snowball and it scattered to the ground.

"There's someone here who claims they need to speak with you. Immediately."

Elsa groaned. "Tell them that open court is adjourned to petitioners. If they want to –"

"It's not a petitioner, Your Majesty. It's the Duke of Weselton."

Elsa straightened, her mood changing in an instant. Anna could have sworn that the temperature seemed to drop by a few degrees.

"I told that man there'd be consequences if he ever returned here."

"That's the thing, Your Majesty. He says he's the Duke of Weselton, but it's not the same man as last time."

Elsa thought for a moment. She glanced to Anna and back to Kai.

"Fine. I'll meet him in the study in ten minutes."

She brushed the snow from her dress and moved to leave the courtyard. A tug on her sleeve stopped her. She looked behind her to see Anna, a concerned look plastered across her face.

"Elsa, try not to get angry. You don't want anything...you know..._bad_ to happen." Anna's freckled face was creased in worry. "Do you want me to come with you? I mean, I'm not saying that you can't handle it, but if you need someone there to help —"

"Anna," Elsa spoke her sister's name quietly, pulling her into a hug. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this. You go rest and I'll see you when I'm done," Elsa smiled. "We still need to finish our match."

Without waiting to see Anna's reaction, Elsa turned and left her alone in the frozen garden.

* * *

The castle study had always been a place of business instead of relaxation. Its wood-paneled walls were always kept polished to their finest, the floor covered in rugs from all corners of the earth. Elsa was sure that it would have made a very nice place to relax, but her father had always insisted on using it as a room to hold meetings in rather than the exceptionally formal throne room. As such, she'd kept the tradition. Many times she found herself wishing she hadn't.

Elsa entered the room, the carved double doors silent on their hinges. A tall man with brown hair and dressed in full military regalia was talking to two other men. Elsa supposed the two others were bodyguards of some kind – they had the broad stance and hard glances usually found in that line of work. The other man had to be the Duke. He looked to be only a decade or so older than Elsa and carried himself with poise and posture so precise she wondered if there was a pole down his back. One of the guards noticed Elsa's entrance and cleared his throat. The Duke looked toward the door, cutting off his conversation mid-sentence.

"Ah, Your Majesty. My name is Duke Torben of Weselton. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The brown-haired man bowed low as Elsa entered the room. The two large men behind him grunted something similar and inclined their heads for half a second. Elsa returned the favor with a nod.

"I have to admit, I'm surprised to see someone here from Weselton. What happened to the other Duke?"

"After word of his behavior during the incident in July got out, the people of Weselton decided they needed a better ruler. He was removed from his position." Torben offered a slantwise smile, yet it didn't reach his eyes. Elsa noticed that he didn't offer any elaboration as to what the 'removal' entailed.

Elsa bristled. "Would you happen to be the one who removed him?"

"No, I was only offered his position. Before this I was serving as an admiral of the Weseltonian navy."

Elsa's eyebrows raised but she managed to keep her expression stoic. "That's quite impressive for someone your age,"

Torben loosed a short laugh. "So I've been told. But I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here today."

"That'd be putting it mildly," Elsa started. "But if I may ask one favor: May we have this conversation in private? I prefer to discuss business matters one-on-one." Elsa gestured to the two bodyguards.

"...Of course." Torben instructed his guards to wait outside. After much insistence they left, eyeing Elsa warily. Elsa waited for the door to click shut and locked it behind the men. With the two guards out of the room, she breathed a relieved sigh.

"Please, sit down," she gestured to a chair before her desk and sat in the one opposite it. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before speaking. "Duke Torben, I'm not going to pretend that there aren't any issues between our kingdoms. There have been problems between our governments for years. A few months ago the actions of the Duke became too serious to ignore, and as such I've ordered all business with Weselton to end. I'm sure you know this. So why have you come here today?"

Torben straightened in his seat and spoke with gravity.

"Your Majesty, I apologize for all the wrongs that Weselton has caused your people in the past. There have been more than a few times when our people have manipulated yours for political gain. But I want to start a new trade relationship with Arendelle. And to be frank, we're in desperate need of one."

"How so?"

Duke Torben's eyes flitted downward before returning to meet Elsa's.

"You weren't the first kingdom to cut off trade with us. We only have two remaining trade partners, neither of which provides us with anything substantial. Winter's going to be here in less than a month and our people desperately need food and supplies. Arendelle's always been the one to provide us with those things in the past. I was hoping I might be able to discuss the possibility of emergency rations with you."

"'Emergency rations'? Duke Torben, I know a lot about Weselton," Elsa didn't bother to keep the dubiousness from her voice. "I read plenty of history books as a child and I've seen plenty of things happen. Not even ten years ago, the Duke — the same one who's been 'removed' — sent a request to my father asking for an extra shipment of winter coats for the cold season. My father gave him two shipments as an act of kindness and asked nothing in return. A few months later, he found out that Weselton had sold every last coat to another country, asking triple what we would've charged."

Torben's mouth tightened into a thin line. "Your Majesty, I hope you're not implying that I'm trying to cheat you."

"I'm only noting what's happened in the past," Elsa's tone was ice. "In the last hundred years, Arendelle's relationship with Weselton has been tenuous even at the best of times."

The room fell into silence. The Duke's steel gaze focused directly on Elsa but she held her own. Elsa took her chance and spoke again before Torben could offer a retort.

"Let's assume for a moment that you do need supplies. This year we have almost nothing to spare. The storm in July devastated our crops. We'll need to keep every last bit of food just to keep our own people from starving. I have a feeling it's going to be a very harsh winter."

"No offense intended, Your Majesty, but since the early winter was your fault, I assumed that you'd be the one to make amends."

The barbed remark found its target. Elsa's face flushed and she swallowed, her heart beating faster. Her cold, carefully constructed façade had started to crack. She supposed it was possible that there was actually a problem in Weselton. Yet in the past, they'd used Arendelle's hospitality for their own selfish reasons. What if this was just another trick?

Elsa looked away from Torben and her eyes came to rest on a portrait on the wall opposite her desk. Her mother and father's regal gazes looked back at her. If there was actually a food shortage, she didn't want to be responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians. Torben was right in saying the early winter had been her fault. She had to put aside her personal feelings and do what was best for the most people.

Elsa sighed. "I can only offer you a small amount of the supplies that we have — some coats, some lantern fuel. But we can't spare any food. If you'd like, I could write you a letter of trade recommendation. You might be able to use that to set up business with some other country."

Torben set his jaw. "Your Majesty, it's a two-week voyage from my kingdom to yours. By the time I get back, there won't be any time to set up trade with anyone else, especially not this close to winter," The Duke unfolded his hands from his lap and laid them on the polished desk. "If you could give us a portion of your food supply, I'm sure you could manage until you can arrange a shipment with someone else."

"I can't risk the safety of my people. I'm sorry, but there's nothing else that I can do." Elsa pulled some paper and a pen from a drawer. "If you'd like, we can arrange the terms of the shipment —"

Torben pulled himself from his seat.

"Queen Elsa," the man's voice had lost all pretense of courtesy. "You're the only reason why we're in this position in the first place. I was hoping that you'd be decent enough to try to fix what you've done. Now I'm more than willing to look past this insult, but if you insist —"

"Insult?" Elsa felt the all-too-familiar storm come to life inside of her. She rose to her feet, bracing herself against the desk. Her words came out before she could think about what she was saying. "Every chance you've had, your kingdom has taken advantage of my people. The Duke before you viewed both my family and my kingdom as something to be conquered, and you think that I'm insulting you? I've offered you the few supplies I have, and I'll give them to you if you need them. But that is all I can do." Under her hands, ice started to spread across the surface of the desk. Elsa pulled her hands back, hoping that Torben didn't notice. "I thank you for your visit and I wish you well on your return home. But we have nothing more to discuss." Elsa turned to the window behind her and propped her hand on the wall. She closed her eyes and took a moment to compose herself. The window's glass began to frost over.

Torben's breathing grew heavier, his eyes desperate. He spoke through clenched teeth.

"I don't have time for these games. My people are starving, Elsa. I don't care what you think about me or any other ruler, but without help from Arendelle, half the people of Weselton will die. Do you want those lives on your hands? For God's sake, there are _children_ dying!"

He crossed over to Elsa and grabbed her by the shoulder. Elsa spun around and shoved his arm away.

"I said _leave_!"

The Duke opened his mouth to reply but stopped mid-word. He lifted his arm and looked at the spot where Elsa had shoved him. His eyes widened.

Patches of ice were steadily spreading up his arm, his skin and clothes alike beginning to be covered by a coating of frost. His eyes sprang to Elsa in fear and betrayal as the ice reached his neck.

"Guards!" he cried out. The next instant frost spread over his face, locking his terrified gaze in ice.

There was an immediate pounding on the doors. Elsa took a step backwards, eyes wide. Everything seemed to take on a muddy dreamlike tone as panicked thoughts raced through her mind. She forced herself to take a deep breath and focus.

"What's going on in there? Open the door!" The gruff voice of one of Torben's guards pierced through the paneled wood.

"Everything's fine, don't come in!"

Elsa grabbed the Duke's frozen arm and concentrated. She thought of sun, of warmth and love. She could control this power, she knew how to rein it in. Yet the man remained solid ice. The pounding on the door intensified, voices of her own guards mixing in with the hostile shouts of the Weseltonians.

Elsa cursed and a vice gripped her heart. What if she'd been wrong all along? What if her part in bringing back summer was a fluke? What if she couldn't unfreeze him? Years of self-doubt and fear came surging against the barriers she'd set up in her mind. She hated her powers, she hated herself, she hated Torben for making her react the way she did. She felt uncontrolled power welling within her like a torrent and let out a scream as it ripped itself from her with a frigid blast.

The door gave way and the guards rushed in. They arrived just in time to see Torben's frozen body shatter into a cloud of ice.

* * *

_Author's Note: First of all, thanks for reading! This is my first story so any reviews or constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. I have the next chapter almost finished and it should be up in a couple of days. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The fun's just getting started._


	2. Chapter Two

Elsa had resumed pacing her bedroom floor. She'd been trying without much success to block out all thought of what had happened a few days earlier. Yet every time she found her mind in the blissful embrace of catharsis, images would come rushing back to her stronger than ever — images of a man's frozen fear seconds before his death. Images of a woman much too young to be a ruler on the verge of tears as she tried to piece together scattered bits of ice and snow.

There was a knock on her door.

"Your Majesty? May I come in?"

Elsa recognized the voice's owner as Commander Erickson of Arendelle's armed forces. Her chest tightened. Alongside the images of the recent past, her mind taunted her with images of what could come: castle walls in ruins, masses of citizens fleeing from cannon fire. She took a breath in, let a breath out. Did the same thing again. The images remained but were dim and fogged.

"Come in,"

The man entered the room, the first to do so in four days. His precise posture and step mirrored his immaculately clean uniform. His dark hair was combed back, steely grey eyes surveying Elsa's reaction to his arrival.

"Your Majesty, I apologize. I know that this is probably the last thing you want to talk about, but we need to discuss the possibility of Weseltonian retaliation."

Elsa's heart raced and she swallowed.

_Push the fear down, keep it out of sight. Keep it where it can't hurt. Be the leader the people expect._

"Very well."

The man cleared his throat. "Weselton's ship left three days ago. Their voyage will take about two weeks, which gives us just about a week left before they hear the news of what's happened. If there's going to be any sort of retaliation on their part, it won't be for almost a month."

Elsa nodded. "What do you think the odds are that they'll attack us?"

Erickson frowned. "We don't know. We weren't even aware of the change of power in Weselton until a few days ago. But I think it would be for the best if we assume the worst."

The bubble of fear within Elsa threatened to burst yet she pushed it back down. Frost started to creep out from under her feet. Erickson's gaze flitted down to the advancing ice but he stood his ground.

"All right," Elsa said. "Let all soldiers and guards know that they might be called to active duty, but don't tell them why. We haven't told the people about anything that's happened and I'd like to keep it that way as long as possible. If we need to, we can set up a barricade around the fjord. An attack by sea would be much more likely than an attack from the land."

"Your Majesty, we don't have enough naval ships to completely barricade the fjord."

"Then we'll use cargo ships too. That should give us enough," Elsa thought for a moment. "Actually, we have a trading ship that's going to be commissioned tomorrow morning. We could use that as well."

The commander inclined his head. "As you wish, Your Majesty,"

"Is there anything else you need?"

Erickson thought for a moment. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it and looked down at the now frozen rug he was standing on. A moment of silence passed before he spoke.

"There's something that's been concerning me. After the incident with the Duke, his guards seemed...well, they seemed like they didn't care. We tried to keep track of the Weseltonians' whereabouts, make sure they didn't do anything violent, but there's a period of time when they were unaccounted for. Nothing happened that we know of, we just don't know where they went until they left the next morning."

"And you think they might have been doing something during that time?"

"That's what's bothering me. Torben knew he was in a dangerous situation but you told me he dismissed his guards before talking to you. He had military trailing, he wouldn't do that unless he had some sort of failsafe in place should something happen to him."

Elsa thought for a moment. A wriggling piece of doubt squirmed in her stomach. "So what do you recommend?"

For an instant, Erickson looked as though he'd eaten something sour. He shifted his feet ever so slightly and folded his hands together before him. The next moment he had regained his bearing and spoke with authority. "In the interest of security, I think you should consider closing the castle gates, if only —"

"No."

To his credit, the man didn't recoil at the harshness of the reply.

"Your Majesty, I know you want to keep the gates open. I completely understand. But I think closing them would be the safest thing to do, especially considering the current situation. An attack could come from anyone, at any time."

"You think someone from Arendelle would do that?" Elsa pursed her lips. Her hands had started to tremble. "Commander, I believe in my people. They've accepted me in spite of everything that I've done. I know they wouldn't betray us like that."

Erickson remained silent for a moment. His face was torn halfway between frustration and pity. "I hope you're right."

And with that he was gone. Elsa let the door shut before allowing her power to surge forth.

* * *

"Elsa?"

Anna knocked on her sister's door for what seemed to be the hundredth time in the last few days. For the hundredth time, there was no response. The girl sat on the ground and slumped, pouting, against the door.

"Okay, tell you what. I'm not going to say anything else. I'm just going to stay right here until you open up. I bet I can wait longer than you."

Anna lasted all of three minutes before groaning and resting her head against the door.

"Elsa, please. You don't have to come out if you don't want to. But can't you at least talk to me? There's no one else here."

No answer.

Anna looked down the hallway illuminated only by oil-scented lamplight. The wall sconces cast flickering shadows on the wallpaper in the wake of the darkening day. In the faraway distance she could hear the murmured voices of servants as they made their cleaning rounds. They'd been told to stay away from the area near Elsa's room.

"Look, I know you're really not in a mood to talk right now but I want to help. I don't know if there's anything I can do, but I want to. You're my sister," Her voice had grown quiet, swallowed by the cavernous hall. "And we've stayed away from each other for so long. Please, don't let that happen again."

No answer. Anna sighed and picked herself up from the floor. She started to walk away but stopped when she heard the click of a lock coming undone. The door remained shut but she knew that, in her own way, Elsa was inviting her to enter.

"Elsa?" Anna ducked her head into the bedroom. Icicles hung from the high and coffered ceiling, frost creeping up the walls to form ornate patterns on the wainscoting. Elsa stood against the far wall, staring through crisscrossing lines of frost that coated the window. Anna noticed that her hands were covered in a pair of gloves.

"What should I do, Anna?" The echo of her quiet voice came to Anna from the walls.

"About what?"

Elsa turned toward her. Her eyes were red. "About everything. Everyone expects me to be a queen, to always do the right thing, to protect them. But I don't know how to do any of that. I'm just pretending to be someone I'm not."

"Elsa, don't say that," Anna moved toward her sister and Elsa turned back toward the window. Anna stopped and fidgeted with her hands. "You're an amazing person. Sure, you might not have a lot of experience with the whole 'queen' thing. But I'm sure our father didn't know what he was doing when he took over, either. You'll just get better —"

"And what will it take before that happens? How many wars will I start, how many people will I kill?"

"Elsa..."

"The Duke of Weselton is _dead_ because of me, Anna!" Elsa's voice lashed out like a blade. The ice on the wall thickened. "What do you think's going to happen now? I just give them an apology and everything's all better?"

Anna remained silent, letting her sister go on. Elsa started to pace back and forth before the window, clouds of snow kicking up from under her feet with every step.

"Just imagine what they're going to think. Their main trade partner gets a new queen, she cuts off everything to do with them, and when their leader comes to personally apologize, she kills him," Elsa exhaled and took a moment to collect herself. "Once word gets back to them, there'll be warships in the fjord in less than a month. Everyone in Arendelle is in danger because of me."

Elsa sank into the chair next to the window and buried her face in her hands. Anna made her way over to her and wrapped her arms around her sister.

"Elsa, listen to me. There's nothing wrong with you. Sure, this was bad. Really bad. I'm not going to say it wasn't. But we'll take care of it and we'll move on. I know you're scared, because, well..." She gestured to the icicles hanging above. "But we can get through this."

Elsa looked around her wintery surroundings and shook her head. She murmured something so quietly Anna couldn't hear.

"What?"

Elsa couldn't meet her sister's eyes. "I can't control it." She spoke in little more than a whisper, looking at her hands. "This isn't like before. It's stronger than ever." When Anna just looked at her, Elsa sighed and continued.

"The other day I told you that my powers were only stronger because of the season. But I lied. They've been getting stronger ever since July. I thought I knew how to control them, how I could stop doing _this_," she looked at the ice around her, "but I just don't know anymore."

Anna's reassuring smile fell from her face. For a brief, terrifying moment, her sister was the ice queen she had seen in the palace on the mountain – alone, out of control and very much afraid.

"What do you mean they're getting stronger?"

"When I used to have...accidents...I could tell when it was going to happen. I could feel it building up inside of me, almost like something was trying to escape. But I haven't felt that. All of a sudden, it just happens." Elsa's face creased in worry. "I'm losing control and I have no idea why."

"Well, you said that only happened when you were afraid. As long as you're not afraid you should be fine, right?"

"That's what I thought. But this..."

Elsa pulled off one of her gloves and laid her hand on the windowsill. In an instant the light coating of frost turned to ice, jagged spears shooting out at cruel angles.

"Whoa..." Anna didn't know what else to say.

"It's getting worse."

Anna bit her lip. "Then we'll just have to find out why."

"Anna, how are we going to do that? Neither of us knows anything about this."

Anna sat down on the snow-covered floor and thought. Suddenly her face lit up in a smile. "No. But I know some people who might."

* * *

Elsa had never really gotten to know Kristoff. True, she'd met him before and spoken a few words to him in passing, but she didn't really know what kind of man he was. After all, she'd first met him during the July Winter when things were, to put it mildly, strange. Now though, as Elsa's horse carried her abreast of the ice harvester on his reindeer, she believed she was beginning to understand him. He was very much like her sister: headstrong, a bit naïve, and completely insane.

"So Elsa — I mean Your Highness..."

"Just Elsa, please. You've done enough for both me and my sister that I don't think we need formalities."

Kristoff blinked. "Works for me. So you've met trolls before?"

"Once when I was a girl. My parents brought Anna and me to them after the accident."

"What accident?" Kristoff was genuinely surprised. "I don't think Anna ever said anything about that."

Elsa paused. "She wouldn't have. She doesn't remember it happened."

Elsa's thoughts wandered back to the castle and she felt a twinge of concern. On the advice from her sister, she'd left Anna as acting sovereign and ran off in the middle of the night to consult the knowledge of the trolls. With Anna's insistence, Elsa had agreed to let Kristoff accompany her. The entire venture had been a decision that she hadn't been so ready to accept, yet Anna had insisted. Any action from Weselton, she'd agreed, wouldn't come for at least a few weeks. Elsa would only be away for a day or two.

Still, Elsa couldn't help but feel as though she'd left a heavy burden on Anna. The younger girl had never had any sort of real experience taking care of politics. Hopefully the only thing that Anna would have to deal with would be the christening of the new ship, a ceremony that Elsa had instructed her on before leaving. Although Elsa loved her immensely, she had to admit that the redhead's heart could often take over her head. She only hoped that she could return to find Arendelle in one piece.

"Here we are." Kristoff's voice broke Elsa out of her stupor as he pulled Sven to a stop and dismounted. Elsa followed suit and looked out over the craggy clearing where they'd arrived. Morning had begun to break, casting long shadows over the mossy stones littering the ground.

"Come on out, you guys!" Kristoff walked between the stones, patting some boulders, greeting others as old friends. The ground rumbled and shook as the stones rolled across the ground, unfolding into small creatures.

"Kristoff! It's been too long!" a motherly troll — if one could describe a rock creature as 'motherly' — crushed the man in a hug.

"A little strong there, Bulda." Kristoff managed as he wheezed and gasped for air.

"So who's this?" Elsa heard a voice to her right and saw a male troll looking up at her. He turned to Kristoff and raised a mossy eyebrow. "Second girl in a few months, eh? Who would've guessed?"

Elsa's face flushed. "Kristoff, is there something you're not telling me?"

Kristoff screwed his eyes shut and muttered something about trolls and love.

"Look!" he said. "This is Elsa. We're not...you know, together. So if we could just focus —"

"Well, I'd hope you weren't together!" Bulda slapped him on the arm and Kristoff grunted in pain. "You and that Anna girl got along so nicely."

"Come now, Bulda. People change," The male troll made his way over to her. "Besides, I've always thought Kris might prefer blondes. You know what they say."

"Okay, that's enough!" Kristoff shouted. "This is Anna's sister," From the corner of his eye, he noticed some trolls carrying out garments adorned with moss. He groaned. "And we're _not_ having another wedding!"

"Sister?"

"Wedding?"

Several male trolls and Elsa responded almost simultaneously, the trolls in excitement, Elsa in annoyance. Her eyes had tightened to narrow slits. Kristoff chuckled nervously.

"Uh, it's nothing. Honest." He held up his hands and smiled in a way he hoped looked innocent.

Before Elsa could respond, an aged voice rose above the rabble of the trolls.

"Kristoff! What brings you here?"

"Grand Pabbie!" Kristoff rushed over to the troll, kneeling down to pull him into a hug.

The troll chuckled, patting the man on the back. "It's good to see you again. I hope everything's well?" Kristoff's face fell and Pabbie groaned. "I should have known. Come, come. Let's hear what's going on."

Kristoff launched into an explanation, Elsa taking over to give details. The troll leaned back, closed his eyes and nodded. When they had told him everything, he sighed.

"Ah. I wonder if you remember me, Elsa." The girl didn't answer. "No? Well, I shouldn't be surprised. The experience was quite difficult for you. I helped your father many years ago. Your parents brought your sister to me to heal."

Elsa's mouth fell open. "That's right. You're the one who removed her memories."

The troll nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry, but it was the only way to save her. Even as a child your magic was stronger than I imagined. Now it looks like it's causing you trouble yet again."

Elsa nodded, her jaw set. Pabbie sat back and folded his stone fingers together, putting his thoughts together before speaking.

"You have a rare gift, Elsa. A very beautiful yet very dangerous gift. I wonder, have you ever questioned where it came from? Why you have powers when your parents or sister had none? Of course you have." Elsa closed her mouth and silenced her answer, the troll providing it for her.

"I know a lot things, Elsa. I've been around for many, many years. Your father wasn't the first ruler of Arendelle I've helped and I know that you won't be the last.

"In this world, there are things that many people simply aren't aware of. Take us, for instance," He gestured to the assembled trolls. "or your magic. There are forces beyond our control, some of which even I don't know about."

The troll was quiet for a long time before he spoke again.

"Tell me Elsa, how well do you know mythology?"

"Well enough," Elsa's eyebrows raised at the troll's question. "I've read a lot of books."

The air seemed to grow heavy as a silence thicker than fog settled on the clearing. Pabbie rested his nose on his folded hands and stared at Elsa.

"What do you know about Ragnarök?"

* * *

Anna was often glad that her sister had become queen instead of her. She'd never been one for rules or handling delicate social situations. Elsa had always been much more suited to that type of work.

Anna wriggled in her dress, miles more uncomfortable than the one she'd worn to Elsa's coronation. She stood on the bridge of Arendelle's newest ship, listening to Commander Nilsen laud the praises of the vessel to be commissioned. The morning was cold and the mist rising off the waters chilling, yet she tried to remain in the best of spirits.

"...and this beauty can reach eighteen knots. Eighteen! If we're lucky we'll be able to shave a few days off the travel time between here and lands like Corona..."

Anna nodded, smiling. Ever since her parents' deaths, she'd found herself apathetic about anything to do with the sea. Yet she let Nilsen ramble on about wind speed and trade routes and crew members without interruption.

"Well, what do you think?" Anna did a double take. Nilsen had stopped talking and was staring at her with an expression much like a child asking for a new toy.

"Oh! Um...that's really impressive. Really well-built." Anna nodded in what she thought to be a queenly way. Nilsen beamed.

"I'm glad you enjoy it, Your Highness. It seems so many people simply don't appreciate quality." He patted the helm as if it were a child. Some of the paint flaked off and fell to the deck. The man didn't seem to notice.

From the dock below, a fanfare of trumpets rose to meet them. Anna looked over the edge of the ship and saw a small crowd of spectators huddling together and laughing. A small band of a few trumpets, drums and flutes played near the ship, signaling the start of the ceremonies.

"Well Your Highness, I believe it's about time to see her off," Nilsen's grin grew, if possible, even wider. They climbed down the gangplank and returned to the bow of the ship, Anna waving to the small crowd that had assembled. Nilsen held up his hands for silence and addressed the people.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a fine day for Arendelle. With the introduction of this magnificent vessel, we'll usher in a new age of trade and prosperity," Nilsen paused for a moment while the crowd applauded. He turned to Anna and bowed. "Princess Anna, if you'd like to say a few words?"

Anna nodded and tried to recall the speech Elsa had told her to recite. "People of Arendelle, it's my honor to present to you the newest addition to our fleet. May she guide and preserve...no, _protect_...um..." Anna stopped mid-sentence and smiled, waiting for the right words to come to her. They didn't. "This is a really good ship. Where's the wine?"

Nilsen wordlessly passed her the bottle of champagne. His mustache twitched and Anna noticed his smile wasn't as broad as a moment ago. She cleared her throat and shouted to the crowd.

"I christen this ship the _Reinen_!" Anna swung the bottle against the bow with fervor, letting out a happy yelp as the glass shattered. The crowd broke out in cheers and applause as the band surged to life, causing Anna to jump. She turned back to Nilsen smiling widely, flecks of champagne dripping from her carefully styled hair.

"Thank you, Your Highness. That was...unique." The commander shook her hand.

"Thanks for letting me do this!" Anna shouted to make herself heard to Nilsen over the band's rendition of the Arendellian anthem.

Nilsen smiled at her. "Not at all, Your Highness. It's an honor to – down!" Anna shrieked as she felt Nilsen pull her forward. The crowd erupted in noise, shouts and screams mixing with gasps and yells.

Under the roar of the music, Anna hadn't heard the footsteps behind her. She didn't notice the man rushing toward her from behind until she felt the blade pierce her skin.


	3. Chapter Three

Kristoff said his goodbyes to Elsa on the outskirts of town. He'd sheepishly admitted that before he'd left to guide Elsa to the trolls, he'd put Olaf in charge of watching his sled. All the way back to Arendelle he'd spoken of his wish to return to it before it found a way to join its late brother at the bottom of a ravine. As he disappeared with Sven on the path into the trees, Elsa found herself alone. She looked at the buildings in the valley beneath her and hesitated, her gaze vacantly drifting toward the town on the fjord as the wind played with her hair. With a click of her tongue and a shake of her horse's reins, she cleared her mind and headed down the path off the mountain.

Elsa found herself riding through the cobblestone streets of the marketplace, her horse's hooves clop-clopping on the pavement. The marketplace was strangely empty for a Saturday. A few vendors manned their stalls and store doors remained open, yet the bustling clamor of daily life had come to a halt. An unexpected tendril of fear gripped her heart and she shivered despite the warm air.

She'd met with this feeling three years earlier. She'd felt it hang heavy in the air and smother the speech of the messenger who told her of her parents' deaths. It was a primal sensation, fleeting and terrifying. Something was wrong.

Some of the people in the market were standing in small clusters, talking amongst themselves. As she looked toward the townspeople, they quickly turned their gazes to the ground. Elsa passed by a group of women carrying groceries back to their homes, hushed words drifting to her as she drew near. "Poor girl...who'd have thought...hope she's all right..."

Elsa's heart seized in her chest as thoughts of the worst came to her. She gripped the reins tighter and bade her mount to quicken its step. Anxiety swelled within her as panicked scenes raced through her mind and she hurried the horse even more. By the time she neared the castle, her haste had driven the animal to a full gallop, forcing the few people who remained in the road to jump out of the way with cries of surprise.

Elsa vaguely realized herself dismounting in the castle courtyard and handing off the reins of her horse to a stablehand. The young man left with a muttered thanks and a bow. By the time Elsa thought to respond, the boy was gone.

Her steps were leaden as they crossed the cobblestones, the merry tinkling of the fountain spewing and bubbling behind her. Elsa heaved open the massive oaken doors and walked into the entrance hall, boots thudding on the polished floors. There was no one to greet her.

Elsa's feeling of dread grew even stronger. Her stomach clenched. She called out for someone, anyone, and her voice echoed off the walls.

"Your Majesty!" Gerda emerged from a doorway and ran up to her. Elsa didn't waste any time with greetings.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Princess Anna. She's been attacked."

Elsa's world stopped. In the distance she could hear footsteps and the noise of people carrying on their everyday duties. Gerda was wringing her hands and saying something but Elsa couldn't tell what.

"...and of course they brought her back here immediately..."

"Where is she?" Elsa was already climbing the stairs to the living areas.

"She's resting in her room. But Your Majesty, I think that you might want to wait —"

Gerda's voice vanished behind Elsa as she ran down the halls. She didn't care if she wasn't carrying herself like a queen, she needed to see her sister. She _had_ to see her sister. Whatever had happened to her had come to pass only because she'd so stupidly left her alone.

It felt like hours passed before Elsa reached Anna's door. She didn't bother to knock as she rushed into the room.

Anna had been sleeping when Elsa arrived. At the sound of the door opening, the redhead woke with a start and tried to pull herself upright in bed. She grabbed her right arm and let out a whimper at the sudden movement. Her gaze turned to the doorway and she smiled weakly at the sight of Elsa.

"Hey there."

"Anna. What happened to you?" Elsa's face paled. Her voice was little more than a whisper.

"Guess someone didn't like the new ship."

"What?" Elsa's face creased in worry and confusion. She rushed to Anna's side and helped her sit up. From the edges of her vision, she noticed the sheets were stained red. Anna's right shoulder and arm were wrapped tightly in gauze, her arm hanging from a sling. Elsa brushed the bandage and Anna inhaled through clenched teeth.

"Sorry!" Elsa cried out, drawing her hand back. "I didn't mean —"

"No, it's fine. It just...it surprised me, is all." Anna shifted under the covers.

"Anna, what happened?" Elsa sat on a sliver of bed next to Anna, feeling her sister's forehead and brushing some hair from her eyes.

"Someone came up behind me at the christening. I mean, just out of nowhere. I couldn't hear them, I didn't see them. I just knew that Commander Nilsen pulled me down and then..." She inclined her head toward her bandaged arm. "Well, it's really a good thing he was there. The doctor said even a couple of inches higher could have been a lot worse. But he says I should be fine after I heal up."

Elsa bit her lip. "I'm so sorry, Anna. This is all my fault. If I hadn't left —"

"If you hadn't left, it would've just happened to you instead. Maybe you wouldn't have been as lucky."

For a long time the sisters just sat there, Anna under the covers, Elsa on the edge of the bed. Elsa took Anna's palm in her own, her thumb absentmindedly tracing circles on the back of her hand.

Elsa couldn't string together the words she wanted to say. Her recent attempts at expressing her feelings had been improving, but each admission of emotion still felt as if she was exposing herself to an attack. She marveled at her sister's ability to stay optimistic even when she was hurt.

"So did you find out what you needed to know?"

"Hmm?" Elsa found herself pulled back to the moment.

Anna rolled her eyes. "The whole reason why you left, remember? What did the trolls say?"

Elsa blinked. "Oh! No, they were really helpful. I think I found out what I needed to know."

"Good," Anna smiled and closed her eyes. "Hey, do you mind if I lay back down? I'm kind of tired."

Elsa rose up off the bed and helped Anna back underneath the sheets. Anna let out a contented sigh and shifted her position in bed, then suddenly cried out and clenched her eyes shut.

Elsa noticed a small bottle of opium and a spoon on Anna's nightstand. "The doctor gave you something to help with the pain, didn't he?"

Anna made a face. She made a noise that Elsa took to be an affirmative grunt.

"And when do you need to take it next?"

Anna turned over onto her side with some effort and looked at the small clock by her bedside.

"About two hours ago."

"Anna..."

"I know, I know," Anna pouted. "But it tastes bad and makes me feel all weird."

"It'll help you sleep. Here," Elsa poured a spoonful of the liquid and held it out to Anna, who just looked at it as if it was a large bug that needed squashing. "I can't hold it forever. If you don't take it, it'll just spill all over your sheets."

Anna grimaced and swallowed the medicine, gagging at the bitter taste. Elsa replaced the spoon and brushed some of Anna's hair out of her face.

"There you go. That'll make you feel better."

Anna made a face but didn't say anything.

"All right. You get some rest, I'll be back —"

Elsa started to leave but felt a tug on her riding dress. She looked behind her to see Anna holding onto the fabric with a longing look on her face.

"Hey Elsa. Come here." She patted the space next to her on the bed with a smile.

"What?"

"I know you have things to do, but can't you stay just a little longer?"

Elsa thought. She needed to speak with the captain of the guard and Commander Erickson about the attack that had taken place. She was positive that there were countless problems that needed addressing and there were sure to be people wondering where their queen had gone. Anna's warm smile made all those concerns vanish.

"All right. But just for a minute."

Elsa climbed onto the bed next to Anna, taking care not to hit her sister's wounded shoulder. She settled down on the comforter, head reclining on the spare pillow as she gazed at the canopy above Anna's bed.

"Hey Elsa?"

"Hmm?"

"You can keep this 'queen' thing for yourself. I don't really like it that much."

Elsa couldn't help but smile. "You just need some more practice."

Anna groaned with a smile on her face. Her eyes had closed and her speech had started to slur from sleep. She nestled closer to Elsa, sighing in contentment.

"I'm really glad you're my sister."

Elsa lay there as her sister's breathing grew more and more regular, a smile never leaving Anna's face. Elsa had plenty to worry about. Anna had been hurt in an unprecedented attack, a conflict with Weselton was almost certain to erupt, and the news that Pabbie had told her haunted her mind. But for one moment — one beautiful, fragile moment in the fleeing hours of the day, Elsa was at peace.

* * *

"Good evening."

Elsa's tone was level and her step even as she entered the prisoner's cell. She'd tiptoed from her sister's room as darkness fell, leaving Anna safe in the peace of her dreams. Part of Elsa remained in that warm bed, carefree and content, held in her sister's embrace. The part of her that found itself in the musty damp of the dungeons couldn't allow itself to feel anything.

The prisoner's wrists were clasped by heavy manacles that were chained to the wall. He looked up at her with a dulled look of annoyance. Elsa noticed that one of his eyes was beginning to swell and darken, compliments of one of the jailers. His bare arms were bruised and smeared with blood. Elsa felt a quiet fury rage inside of her as she realized she had no way of knowing if it was his or Anna's.

"Well, Your Majesty. Good to see you." His voice was much too reserved, too out of place for the prison cell.

Elsa was surprised by how normal the man looked. She'd pictured her sister's attacker as someone who looked like he'd been sleeping in the alleys — stringy hair, missing teeth, patches of dirt on his face. But if this man had been in the castle, Elsa would have taken him to be a worker without a second glance.

"Why did you attack Princess Anna?"

"You sure don't waste any time getting down to business, do you? I like that."

"Why did you attack her?"

The man just smiled at Elsa's repeated question. He stood with a groan and rattle of chains.

"Hey, I'm a little thirsty. Got any water around here?"

"Answer the question."

"I don't have to answer anything. What else're you gonna do? Put me in a smaller cell?" He cocked his head to the side.

"The penalty for high treason is death. The only reason you're still alive is because I wish it." Elsa's voice shook despite her best efforts. The man laughed.

"Oh, look who's acting all high and mighty. You're so important, aren't you? You get a crown and a fancy dress and you think you can go ordering people around." He stared directly at Elsa and smiled a smarmy grin. "What're you gonna do to me? Turn me into a statue and break me into a bunch of teeny pieces?"

Elsa's blood ran cold. "How do you know about that?"

"Let's just say a little birdie told me." He grinned. "Ah, how about this. I'm guessing you want information. Well, you wouldn't believe what I could tell you. Give me what I want and I'll tell you some secrets. Maybe some names, maybe some faces. You scratch my back, yeah?"

"Let me guess. You'll give me information in exchange for your release."

The man shrugged. "That'd be a good place to start."

"I'm not interested in making deals with cowards."

"Oh I'm a coward now, am I? Well let me ask you something," The man leaned forward, suspending himself at an angle from the wall with the help of the chains. "Where'd you run away to when you froze up everything? When'd you offer to help anyone?"

Elsa gritted her teeth. "That's not the same as trying to kill someone."

"Really? 'Cause the way I see it, you taking off and leaving everyone to freeze isn't exactly the friendliest thing in the world."

Elsa had no response. The man chuckled and settled against the wall, the stones digging into his back.

"Weselton paid you, didn't they?" Elsa's realization was less of a question and more of a statement.

The prisoner only smiled.

"Like I said — I can get you names for the right price. Might keep something else from happening to your sister."

Before he could laugh again, a point of ice was at his throat. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly and his slantwise smile drooped. Any warmth in the room vanished as ice began to creep up the walls.

"Listen to me," Elsa's voice was dangerously quiet, her face inches from his. "You're going to tell me what you know. If you lie or if anything else happens to Anna, you'll wish I had you executed."

The man didn't speak for a long while. He only stared at Elsa, his face a mixture between amusement and defiance.

"Go ahead. Kill me." The man leaned forward, offering his throat to the ice. "It'd save us both a lot of trouble."

Elsa held her trembling hand out. She could feel the power welling inside of her. It swirled in angry clouds of ice, begging, straining to be released. All it would take was the slightest thought and she could tear the smile off the man's face. She could make him pay for daring to hurt her sister.

She could kill him like she'd killed Torben.

She closed her eyes and lowered her hand, the ice point dissolving into a cloud of frost. The man smirked. Elsa was straining, fighting against the force that surged within. It wanted to break free but she reined it in. She spun around and headed for the door. She had to leave, had to get as far away from the dungeon as she could before she lost control.

"I'll give you a tip for free," The man's voice carried to Elsa as her hand rested on the door handle. "Just a friendly piece of advice."

Elsa tightened her grip, ice coating the handle. It raced down the wood of the door, joining with the frost on the walls and floor. The man shivered despite his best efforts, the chill seeping through his threadbare clothes.

"Get a good night's sleep. There's going to be a lot of fun tomorrow."

The man was still laughing as Elsa left.

* * *

Elsa stared out of her darkening window at the town outside. The few candles that were still lit in the houses below faded into darkness one after another.

Arendelle had always prided itself on its sturdiness. Its buildings and streets were as hardy and dependable as its people. But for the first time to Elsa, it seemed so fragile, so utterly breakable.

Elsa could see masses of figures moving in the streets — darkened shapes in a sea of black. The soldiers that she'd ordered onto patrol were starting their rounds. Perhaps it was just a reaction of giving too much thought to the ravings of a would-be assassin, but she couldn't afford to take any chances. Not anymore.

Commander Erickson had lauded her decision, even though Elsa hadn't been able to look the officer in the eyes at the meeting she'd called after emerging from the dungeons. She didn't want to see any sort of I-told-you-so gaze looking back at her. If she'd only listened to him, Anna wouldn't have gotten hurt.

She was certain now that Weselton had paid mercenaries working in Arendelle, and she'd said as much to Erickson. The man who'd been caught was only the beginning.

Elsa wasn't cold, yet she found herself hugging her arms to her chest as if seeking warmth. More than anything she wanted to return to Anna, to be by her sister's side. But she was so tired, so drained. If she were to return, there was the possibility that her powers might lash out at her sister. She'd vowed that she'd never bring Anna to harm again.

Even so, in the stillness of the room the words that Pabbie had told her rose to the forefront of her thoughts, spoken as clearly as if he'd been standing next to her.

_"You will usher the land into a new era, or it will fall by your hands."_

* * *

_Author's Note: First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who's favorited, followed, or reviewed this story. It means a lot to me, thanks so much! Sorry for the long span between updates, but life has an annoying habit of getting in the way of things. The fourth chapter should be up fairly quickly (read: less than two weeks) barring any unforeseen circumstances and should see things liven up *just* a bit. Heh heh. Thanks again for reading!_


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